If we were picking the four best teams in the country right now to play in the College Football Playoff, my top four would be Alabama, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Penn State, in that order. I would actually pick Oklahoma over Clemson, because the Sooners dared to play a couple of difficult non-conference games early in the season. Yes, the Tigers beat Auburn on opening day, but then later laid an egg against unranked Pittsburgh. In all honesty, at least six teams have a viable claim on the third and fourth slots in the playoff – Oklahoma, Penn State, Clemson, Washington, Western Michigan and Michigan. And that reveals what I’ve said all along – that a four-team playoff will never be expansive enough to crown a true national champion in the Football Bowl Subdivision. But now it’s all down to a small committee that will decide which four teams to include. Don’t be surprised at any of the teams that wind up playing for the title – this committee is capable of anything, including getting it right (or completely wrong).
| Rank | Team (APR) | W | L | Last Week | Last |
| 1 | Alabama (23) | 13 | 0 | Beat Florida, 54-16 | 1 |
| 2 | Ohio State (43) | 11 | 1 | Regular season complete | 2 |
| 3 | Oklahoma (90) | 10 | 2 | Beat Oklahoma State, 38-20 | 3 |
| 4 | Penn State (76) | 11 | 2 | Beat Wisconsin, 38-31 | 6 |
| 5 | Clemson (11) | 12 | 1 | Beat Virginia Tech, 42-35 | 7 |
| 6 | Washington (35) | 12 | 1 | Beat Colorado, 41-10 | 9 |
| 7 | Western Michigan (70) | 13 | 0 | Beat Ohio, 26-20 | 5 |
| 8 | Wisconsin (4) | 10 | 3 | Lost to Penn State, 38-31 | 4 |
| 9 | Florida State (109) | 9 | 3 | Regular season complete | 10 |
| 10 | Michigan (7) | 10 | 2 | Regular season complete | 11 |
| 11 | USC (79) | 9 | 3 | Regular season complete | 12 |
| 12 | Oklahoma State (106) | 9 | 3 | Lost to Oklahoma, 38-20 | 8 |
| 13 | LSU (117) | 7 | 4 | Regular season complete | 15 |
| 14 | West Virginia (111) | 10 | 2 | Beat Baylor, 24-21 | 19 |
| 15 | Temple (42) | 10 | 3 | Beat Navy, 34-10 | 23 |
| 16 | Virginia Tech (57) | 9 | 4 | Lost to Clemson, 42-35 | 16 |
| 17 | Colorado (59) | 10 | 3 | Lost to Washington, 41-10 | 13 |
| 18 | USF (82) | 10 | 2 | Regular season complete | 18 |
| 19 | Stanford (12) | 9 | 3 | Regular season complete | 20 |
| 20 | Houston (114) | 9 | 3 | Regular season complete | 21 |
| 21 | Auburn (15) | 8 | 4 | Regular season complete | 22 |
| 22 | Iowa (44) | 8 | 4 | Regular season complete | 24 |
| 23 | Miami (Fla.) (66) | 8 | 4 | Regular season complete | 25 |
| 24 | Navy (17) | 9 | 3 | Lost to Temple, 34-10 | 14 |
| 25 | Florida (24) | 8 | 4 | Lost to Alabama, 54-16 | 17 |
| 26 | Kansas State (29) | 8 | 4 | Beat TCU, 30-6 | 30 |
| 27 | Nebraska (20) | 9 | 3 | Regular season complete | 26 |
| 28 | Pittsburgh (51) | 8 | 4 | Regular season complete | 27 |
| 29 | Boise State (16) | 10 | 2 | Regular season complete | 28 |
| 30 | BYU (93) | 8 | 4 | Regular season complete | 29 |
| 31 | Louisville (19) | 9 | 3 | Regular season complete | 31 |
| 32 | Tennessee (84) | 8 | 4 | Regular season complete | 32 |
| 33 | Washington State (67) | 8 | 4 | Regular season complete | 33 |
| 34 | North Carolina (97) | 8 | 4 | Regular season complete | 34 |
| 35 | Memphis (60) | 8 | 4 | Regular season complete | 35 |
| 36 | Air Force (9) | 9 | 3 | Regular season complete | 36 |
| 37 | Georgia Tech (8) | 8 | 4 | Regular season complete | 38 |
| 38 | Appalachian State (71) | 9 | 3 | Regular season complete | 39 |
| 39 | Arkansas (96) | 7 | 5 | Regular season complete | 40 |
| 40 | Western Kentucky (102) | 10 | 3 | Beat Louisiana Tech, 58-44 | 45 |
| 41 | Utah (14) | 8 | 4 | Regular season complete | 41 |
| 42 | Texas A&M (63) | 8 | 4 | Regular season complete | 42 |
| 43 | Toledo (13) | 9 | 3 | Regular season complete | 44 |
| 44 | Minnesota (3) | 8 | 4 | Regular season complete | 46 |
| 45 | Tulsa (113) | 8 | 4 | Regular season complete | 47 |
| 46 | Northwestern (2) | 6 | 6 | Regular season complete | 48 |
| 47 | Vanderbilt (5) | 6 | 6 | Regular season complete | 49 |
| 48 | Georgia (74) | 7 | 5 | Regular season complete | 50 |
| 49 | TCU (126) | 6 | 6 | Lost to Kansas State, 30-6 | 37 |
| 50 | San Diego State | 10 | 3 | Beat Wyoming, 27-24 | 56 |
| 51 | Notre Dame (30) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 51 |
| 52 | Kentucky (100) | 7 | 5 | Regular season complete | 52 |
| 53 | Colorado State (91) | 7 | 5 | Regular season complete | 53 |
| 54 | New Mexico (98) | 8 | 4 | Regular season complete | 54 |
| 55 | Indiana (22) | 6 | 6 | Regular season complete | 55 |
| 56 | Arkansas State (99) | 7 | 5 | Beat Texas State, 36-14 | 58 |
| 57 | Old Dominion (94) | 9 | 3 | Regular season complete | 60 |
| 58 | Troy (122) | 9 | 3 | Lost to Georgia Southern, 28-24 | 43 |
| 59 | Wyoming (86) | 8 | 5 | Lost to San Diego State, 27-24 | 57 |
| 60 | Louisiana Tech (127) | 8 | 4 | Lost to Western Kentucky, 58-44 | 59 |
| 61 | California (77) | 5 | 7 | Regular season complete | 61 |
| 62 | Baylor (52) | 6 | 6 | Lost to West Virginia, 24-21 | 62 |
| 63 | Ohio (68) | 8 | 5 | Lost to Western Michigan, 29-23 | 63 |
| 64 | Boston College (21) | 6 | 6 | Regular season complete | 64 |
| 65 | Maryland (28) | 6 | 6 | Regular season complete | 65 |
| 66 | NC State (54) | 6 | 6 | Regular season complete | 66 |
| 67 | Mississippi State (41) | 5 | 7 | Regular season complete | 67 |
| 68 | Texas Tech (118) | 5 | 7 | Regular season complete | 68 |
| 69 | Southern Miss (88) | 6 | 6 | Regular season complete | 69 |
| 70 | Eastern Michigan (105) | 7 | 5 | Regular season complete | 70 |
| 71 | Louisiana-Lafayette (101) | 6 | 6 | Beat ULM, 30-3 | 74 |
| 72 | Ole Miss (81) | 5 | 7 | Regular season complete | 71 |
| 73 | Texas (45) | 5 | 7 | Regular season complete | 72 |
| 74 | Missouri (26) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 73 |
| 75 | UCLA (39) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 75 |
| 76 | UTSA (85) | 6 | 6 | Regular season complete | 76 |
| 77 | Miami (Ohio) (53) | 6 | 6 | Regular season complete | 77 |
| 78 | Arizona State (75) | 5 | 7 | Regular season complete | 78 |
| 79 | Oregon State (103) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 79 |
| 80 | Oregon (56) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 80 |
| 81 | Duke (1) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 81 |
| 82 | South Carolina (40) | 6 | 6 | Regular season complete | 82 |
| 83 | Central Michigan (62) | 6 | 6 | Regular season complete | 83 |
| 84 | Northern Illinois (48) | 5 | 7 | Regular season complete | 84 |
| 85 | Middle Tennessee (31) | 8 | 4 | Regular season complete | 85 |
| 86 | Idaho (128) | 8 | 4 | Beat Georgia State, 37-12 | 89 |
| 87 | Army (6) | 6 | 5 | OFF | 86 |
| 88 | Wake Forest (61) | 6 | 6 | Regular season complete | 87 |
| 89 | UCF (13) | 6 | 6 | Regular season complete | 88 |
| 90 | Georgia Southern (119) | 5 | 7 | Beat Troy, 28-24 | 98 |
| 91 | Michigan State (25) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 90 |
| 92 | SMU (110) | 5 | 7 | Regular season complete | 91 |
| 93 | North Texas (10) | 5 | 7 | Regular season complete | 92 |
| 94 | Bowling Green (92) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 93 |
| 95 | Syracuse (36) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 94 |
| 96 | Iowa State (80) | 3 | 9 | Regular season complete | 95 |
| 97 | Hawaii (46) | 6 | 7 | Regular season complete | 96 |
| 98 | Purdue (58) | 3 | 9 | Regular season complete | 97 |
| 99 | Arizona (89) | 3 | 9 | Regular season complete | 99 |
| 100 | Nevada (104) | 5 | 7 | Regular season complete | 100 |
| 101 | UTEP (37) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 101 |
| 102 | South Alabama (108) | 6 | 6 | Beat New Mexico State, 35-28 | 107 |
| 103 | Cincinnati (65) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 102 |
| 104 | UNLV (124) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 103 |
| 105 | Virginia (34) | 2 | 10 | Regular season complete | 104 |
| 106 | San Jose State (69) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 105 |
| 107 | Akron (107) | 5 | 7 | Regular season complete | 106 |
| 108 | FIU (121) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 108 |
| 109 | Tulane (49) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 110 |
| 110 | Rice (32) | 3 | 9 | Regular season complete | 111 |
| 111 | Kansas (123) | 2 | 10 | Regular season complete | 112 |
| 112 | Charlotte (87) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 113 |
| 113 | Illinois (18) | 3 | 9 | Regular season complete | 114 |
| 114 | Georgia State (112) | 3 | 9 | Lost to Idaho, 37-12 | 109 |
| 115 | Kent State (72) | 3 | 9 | Regular season complete | 116 |
| 116 | Marshall (47) | 3 | 9 | Regular season complete | 117 |
| 117 | Connecticut (55) | 3 | 9 | Regular season complete | 118 |
| 118 | ULM (65) | 4 | 8 | Lost to Louisiana-Lafayette, 30-6 | 115 |
| 119 | Utah State (27) | 3 | 9 | Regular season complete | 119 |
| 120 | Ball State (83) | 4 | 8 | Regular season complete | 120 |
| 121 | East Carolina (115) | 3 | 9 | Regular season complete | 121 |
| 122 | New Mexico State (125) | 3 | 9 | Lost to South Alabama, 35-28 | 122 |
| 123 | Buffalo (50) | 2 | 10 | Regular season complete | 123 |
| 124 | Rutgers (38) | 2 | 10 | Regular season complete | 124 |
| 125 | FAU (116) | 3 | 9 | Regular season complete | 125 |
| 126 | Massachusetts (120) | 2 | 10 | Regular season complete | 127 |
| 127 | Texas State (73) | 2 | 10 | Lost to Arkansas State, 36-14 | 126 |
| 128 | Fresno State (95) | 1 | 11 | Regular season complete | 128 |
